Haeold l



H. L SEAMAN Match 8, 1932.

SEA SKIFF Filed Jan. 12,

INVENTOR #42010 l, JmMA v ATTORNEYJ aw, M Ma Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD L; sEAMAN,

OF LONG BRANCH, NEW JERSEY,.ASSIGNOR.OF ONE-HALF IO JACOB F. OBERLE, OF NEW- YORK, N. Y.

SEA SKIFF Application filed January 12, i931. Serial No. 508,227.

' This invention relates to improvements in boats and has more particular relation to improvements in hull structures for the socalled outboard motor boats or skiii's.

One of the several objects of the invention is to provide a boat of improved structure for allowing a detachable outboard motor to be appliedjthereto so that a part of the motor including the propeller projects through the bottom of the boat, and the whole may be tilted to bring the propeller above the line'of the bottom of the boat.

Another object of the invention is to pro- -vide a stream line hull which will ride on the water at speed without an undue portion of the bottom of the boat projecting above the water line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hull so constructed below the water line asto prevent capsizing when turning at high speed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hull so constructed as to allow the detachable motor to be' projected through its bottom and at the same time prevent the water rising to an undesirable height in the motor well. I

.The invention also has further objects, all of which will be hereinafter '1i1oreparticular- 1y set forth and claimed. 1 f

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, r v

Figure l represents'a side elevation partly in, vertical section of a boat embodying my invention. p o Y Y Figure 2 represents a bottom plane view of the same.

Figure 3 represents a rear end elevation of the improved boat.

Generally speaking, outboard motor boats have been constructed so that the motor is in reality outboard and hangs upon the transom of the boat so that the weight of the motor is at the extreme back end. This method ofconstruction results in the back of the boat being depressed because of the location of the motor and because of high speed so that so'much of the forward part of the hull is lifted above the water line as to render the boat cranky and unmanageable at high speed. In overcoming such objectionsthe present applicant has brought the of the boat up at speed and thus cause a greater part of the forward portion of the boat to be held down to give the proper displacement for supporting the boat. 9

Boats of the present sea skiif type when built with round bottoms have a tendency when turning sharply at high speed to roll over, as there is no resistance to the side rolling movement caused by rapidly diverting the hull to one or the other side of a straight course and'causing the force of momentum to be exerted transversely of the hull instead oflongitudinally. This rolling action exerts its greatest force, of course, where the greatest weight is present in the boat, that is, in proximity to the engine and the operator.

p To counteract this effect, the present invention provides at that portion of the hull that has the greatest tendency to roll, a structure which resists this rolling action by plane surfaces which are at an angle to the rounded surfaces of the remainder of the boat and bear or press directly against the water when the boat has a tendency to roll on its regular rounded bottom.

Further, boats which have heretofore been constructed and which have a motor well through which the motor projects out through the bottom of the boat, have had a tendency at high speed to forcethe water up into the well within the boat so that the well will almost completely fill and retard the speed.

By the stream line construction of the bottom of the boat in proximity to the well, the present invention in use sets up a stern wave when the boat is at high speed that prevents the water rising into the well except for a very short distance and thus removes all retarding influences.

Described in detail, the hull of the boat or b the botton 'la'is curved down slightly a s-at- 2a forward of the plane portion 2; this skiff 1, is of the clinker built construction having curved sides and a restricted fiat bottom, 1a. 7 vThe rear portion of this flat bottom 1a is curved downward in a stream-line as at 2, to form a slight plane at this location to cause the stern to be forced upward at high speed and thus bring the bow of the-boat down so that a greater portion of the hull rests upon water and the boat as" a whole virtually. planes over the water. 1

In order to have theihull naturally rest upon the water farther forward than usual,

curve forming a streamline withthe plane portion with no abrupt breaks 1nth1s stream line, 7 The motor 4=jis fhung 1n the usual man:

her by. a vclamp haying thumb-screws on a bulkhead 3 which extends: from side to side of the hull .the'proper distance from the transsomj lO. Two partition walls 6-6, of the same height asthe bulkhead extend from the bulkhead to the transom and thus form the rnotor"well 12,,

' The transorn itself is cut outat the bottom so that/the rear iofthe well l2 is open to" ,permit any unusual surge of water lntothe,

well, to "escape andat the same time to provide-an opening through which the motor and extends wellwbelow the bottom of the boat Lprovements now to propeller can pass when the motor is tilted in the usual manner to bring the propeller above;thebottoin of the'boat .for landing on ashore or in shallow water. I y a.

- When the motor is inposition as shown n Figure 1, itwill be seen that the propeller 5 ,andwell below the surface of fthe stern wave created by the high forward speed of the b'oatandits Jpeculiar construction.

4 Heretofore, in boats having motor wells,

4. the stern wave has'had a tendencyiwhen iforced upward partially by the action of the .propeller -to rise into the motor weir 1n a 1 broken 'rnass of water and. almost vcompletely I the w'l lv V lniother words, without applicant s imbe described and with the I emotor well such as shown in Figure 3 the 7 To obviate well would'be'completely filled with escaping broken water Whenthe boat was travelling atspeed. V v i a this very undesirable condition I eirtendthe bottom of the-boat over the lower part of the well as at 8 to provide two guard plates'inelinedtowards each other at their inner edges; This construction with the stream line plane causes the stern wave to pass almost "directly to the rear with very little upward curve and when the boat is at l speed the motor"well almost entirely free H of water. This, action is assisted by the action of the'plane 2'whi'ch forces the stern into planin'gposition and thus lifts the boat at rear to preyent squatting which squatting would, of course, tend to further fill the motor well with water.

As has been before described the usual round bottom boat has a decided tendency when it is turned at high speed to roll over or capsize, and to counteract this tendency the present invention hasa hull structure at the rear as at 9 which presents a bearing surface under water that counteracts any tendency to roll v as thisrearportionis so'curved jinward as .to really, 1n effect, form a reverse curve to the curve of the hull. '1 'When the hull develops a tendency in turning to roll, these surfaces 9 form a scoop or intenselyresistant "bearing surface against the waterbecause of this reversed curve to the outercurve of thehu'll, as best shown in ig 1 7,. a V i WVith this steadying structure, the skills of the present invention maybeiti'lrned sharplyfat full speed without any. tendency to roll,

as'the bearing surfaces 9 on theouterside of the boat form a barrier byfcontact with the waterto resist the rolling movement-that the remaining round portion of the hull would naturallytake, J I

These boats "ofier favorable conditions for speed and safetyv in large andwifnd'tossed bodies of water and 'liave'been tested to considerable extent "in the Atlantic Ocean off the Jersey coast.

" The planing efi'ectof the hull, the absence ofwater in the motor well and the stability making turns have provided a'boat of the greatest speed possible according 'tothe horsepower employed and such boa-ts have been ,in-actual, use as speed boats in speed and 'rel'iabilitytests. I j i I 1 The unusual structure of the bottom of this improved hullwitli its peculiar stream line 'ffiomstemto stern, eliminates the usual broken water that reaches the propeller from the form of; the-boat having abrupt 'steps or ipnne bottoms; and thus provides an 'unbroken'grip for the blades of the propeller. Further I this streamljline construction also eliminates-the retarding vacuums that "form back of the usual abrupt step bottomplanes and thus makes for greater speed. "Asthese boats are 'es'sentiallyspeed boats; the structure adds-anumber of miles to the speed. 7

Having thus described my. invention; what I claim as new and desireto secure byiLette rs Patent is: I i

1. A boat hull having afia-t bottom with a bottom plane 'surface'at the rear and a forward normal draft greater than, thedraft fat the plane surfaces'ecti'on and a stream line formation along the entire bottom. 7

A boat hull having a" section partially rounded anda flat bottom having a planing section "at "the rear with stream-line connec- -tion with the forward part of the flat bottom, the forward normaldraft being greate th e e l efi at thafr en rat n- 3. The combination with a boat hull having a motor well located therein at the rear for the accommodation of a detachable motor of submerged stern wave plates at the bottom of the motor well to form a stern wave below the well to lower the water in the well when the boat is at speed.

4. The combination in a boat hull of an exterior rounded upper portion and fiat bottom and side rear exterior under water sections extending in a reverse curve to the hull curve to provide a grip or resistance to the rolling action of the hull.

5. The combination in a boat hull, of a partially rounded hull having a flat bottom with a plane at the rear, of less draft than the forward portion of the hull, and vertical re- Versely curved sides at the rear to resist rolling of the hull in turning.

6. The combination with ahull having a motor well with a bottom aperture and a transom aperture of submerged stern wave plates over a part of the bottom aperture to force water past the well at high speed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HAROLD L. SEAMAN. 

